Assam govt allows districts to reschedule school hours amid rising temparatures
While no heatwave alert has been issued for Guwahati or Assam, isolated areas recorded markedly above-normal temperatures
A file image of students in a school in Cachar. (AT Photo)
Guwahati, June 10: In view of rising temperatures across several parts of the state, Education Minister Ranoj Pegu, has authorised all District Commissioners (DCs) to reschedule school timings as per local weather conditions.
As Guwahati clocked a high of 37°C on Tuesday, Minister Pegu, while taking to social media, said, "I urge all District Commissioners to remain alert and use their authority to adjust school timings depending on the prevailing local weather conditions.”
Further decisions regarding schedule adjustments are expected to be communicated by respective district authorities based on real-time weather assessments.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), isolated locations in Assam and Meghalaya recorded maximum temperatures in the range of 35°C to 39°C on June 8. In some areas, the temperatures were marked as "above normal", indicating a deviation of over 5°C from the seasonal average.
However, it is important to note that no official heatwave alert has been issued for Assam or Guwahati by the IMD. While temperatures are higher than usual in some areas, they reportedly do not meet the criteria for a heatwave. The conditions are being closely monitored by local authorities.
Assam, along with the rest of the Northeast, is bracing for a scorching summer, with the IMD projecting a below-normal monsoon for the region this year. The state government’s precautionary measures come against this broader climate backdrop.
Earlier in April, the IMD, in its long-range forecast for the 2025 Southwest Monsoon, had predicted above-normal seasonal rainfall across most parts of the country except Northeast.
“The spatial distribution suggests above-normal seasonal rainfall is very likely over most parts of the country except some areas over Northwest India, Northeast India and South Peninsular India, where below-normal rainfall is likely,” the IMD had said in a statement.